They dream of one day flying Black Hawks made by Sikorsky, whose founder grew up in Ukraine, American Apaches or the European Caracal. But they're under no illusions about their prospects. Mykola and Pavlo – their first names have been changed – are both commanders of the Mil Mi-8, an old Soviet helicopter used mostly for transport and one that can accommodate a crew of four on combat missions. It is both difficult and treacherous to operate. Before sharing their frustrations and hopes with Le Monde, they were instructed by their supervisors to share only a few personal details, for security reasons.

Mykola, 25, and Pavlo, 24, studied together at Ivan-Kozhedub National Air Force University in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, before graduating in 2021 right before the war. Mykola has accrued a total of 400 flying hours, including over 150 in combat missions, as is evident from the black patch on his left shoulder. For someone his age, it represents an enormous amount of experience. Pavlo's blue patch signifies over 100 flight hours during combat missions.

The type of helicopter they fly − older Mi-8s (30 years on average) − has suffered heavy losses since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. According to data collected from open-source intelligence, the number of these aircraft in the Ukrainian army (the exact figure remains a military secret) is estimated to have reached as high as 36, some of which are probably no longer in flying condition and have been "cannibalized" for spare parts. At least 25 Mi-8 helicopters have been destroyed or seriously damaged in fighting or shelling.

"On March 8, 2022, we were ordered to destroy a column of Russian armored vehicles advancing on Bashtanka [southern Ukraine]," Pavlo said. "I was in command of the fourth helicopter. As it approached the target, the first helicopter was shot down as it flew over a hill. The second, following closely behind, was also shot down. The third helicopter immediately turned to escape enemy fire but was also hit by an impact to its flank. It was a miracle that it was able to return to base. The crews in the first two helicopters were killed," said the commander.

The threat from Russian aircraft

Mykola's most vivid memory is of a nighttime mission to resupply the beleaguered Azovstal contingent in Mariupol in late April 2022. "We penetrated 23 kilometers behind enemy lines [out of a total of 120 kilometers to reach Azovstal], but had to turn back in the face of extremely heavy fire from Russian anti-aircraft defenses. We were flying very low and it was very dark. The Russians were firing everything from anti-aircraft guns to ground-to-air missiles. We had no decoys [flares] left at all. If they'd fired a single extra missile, we'd have been done for," said the young man.

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